During a budget discussion in Parliament, Central Minister Ravneet Singh Bittoo lashed out at former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. Bittoo labeled Channi as the most corrupt man in Punjab and targeted him fiercely. Members from the ruling and opposition sides faced off, resulting in chaos. Due to the uproar, the Lok Sabha's proceedings were adjourned until 2 PM.
The incident began when, during the budget discussion, Channi made a personal comment about Bittoo. Responding to Bittoo's remark, Channi said, 'Bittooji, your grandfather was martyred. But he didn't die that day, he died the day you left Congress.' Enraged, Bittoo countered, 'My grandfather Sardar Beant Singh sacrificed his life for the country, not for Congress. And this Channi, he's talking about poverty. If he's not the wealthiest and most corrupt man in Punjab, I'll change my name. This Charanjit Channi owns assets worth thousands of crores.'
Bittoo further exclaimed, 'Who is he calling fair-skinned? First, tell us about Sonia Gandhiji, where is she from. This man is involved in all kinds of cases, the corruptest of them all.' Following Bittoo's statement, when Channi began speaking, members of the ruling party started creating a ruckus. Some MPs from the treasury bench came into the well. Opposition MPs also entered the well, leading to a face-off between members from both sides. Subsequently, the Speaker adjourned the session until 2 PM.
Congress Raised Objection
When the session resumed, KC Venugopal from Congress objected to Bittoo's statement under Rule 352. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh urged for the proceedings to continue while maintaining peace in the House, suggesting that any unparliamentary remarks be struck from the record. Speaker Om Birla remarked that they should not lower the dignity of the House and that any concerns should be raised in the chamber, maintaining decorum.
Channi Reminded the Government of Old Statements by the PM
Earlier, former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi cornered the government by quoting an old statement by Narendra Modi regarding the falling value of the rupee compared to the dollar during the UPA government. He said, 'During the UPA government, Narendra Modi ji had said that the country needs to know why the rupee is weakening, whether the government has weakened, the Prime Minister has weakened, or the ministers have weakened.'
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He further said, 'Our son's wedding took place in a Gurdwara, and for two years the police have been questioning us about what was served in the langar and how much was spent. But thousands of crores were spent on one wedding, and the Prime Minister went with a bouquet.' Channi also questioned the government for not providing a legal guarantee for MSP. Members from the treasury bench objected to Channi's remarks, claiming that he was misleading the farmers.
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Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju demanded that the issue be sent to the Privilege Committee for authentication. Sudip Bandyopadhyay responded that the rule for authentication applies in the Rajya Sabha, not the Lok Sabha. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey referred to a rule where the Speaker can ask the member to authenticate their statements.
